Monzon stops Leonard anywhere from the 12th to the 15th. Carlos Monzon, IMO, was the greatest of middleweight champs, and no one, and that includes Leonard would beat him. Leonard had many gifts, but what Monzon trumped him in was ring intelligence. Monzon's cool, calculated style and fighting in the deep waters of the 15 round limit would be Ray's undoing. Monzon was much too strong for him as well.
Does someone want to remind of Leonard's great career achievements at middleweight? I seem to have missed them the first time around. Let's see, a gift draw against Hearns, a very disputed decision against a finished Hagler, a decision over a totally uninspired and used-up Duran, and getting KTFO. That's the middleweight career I remember.
Monzon would have hurt SRL in those championship rounds of 13 thru 15..indeed it would have been stopped before the end of 15.
leonard's best chance in this fight is to flurry late in rounds and try to steal them like vs hagler. i'd favor monzon but leonard's boxing ability and heart would make this close.
That's how i see it too. Leonard was past his best. Only just managed to beat an even more over the hill Hagler.
I see a close decision win for Monzon. Leonard would do his cute stuff. It wouldn't impress Monzon but it would impress the judges as always. This would allow him to steal a lot of early rounds. Monzon comes on late to batter a tiring Leonard.
I'm one of those folks who thought it was a robbery, for starters. In Leonard, I saw a fighter being rewarded more for who he was than what he was doing. Shoeshine flourishes at the end of the round did not impress me more than what even the limited Hagler accomplished. Whatever, more shitty fallout from the Ali years where "personality" took over the ring rather than effective boxing. Hag was pretty washed up. I would take the either version of Valdez or the Benvenuti that Monzon beat over that version of Hag. He was great in name only at that point.
I think Leonard was overall one of the most talented fighters in the history of the sport. I wouldn't see a stoppage...but wouldn't don't see an upset either. Leonard would land on Monzon in the early rounds, and his speed and mobility would trouble Monzon somewhat...But Leonard is facing a real uphill struggle all the way with the jabbing style of Monzon, the height and length, and mostly the physical strength. It is too much to overcome. Monzon by clear decision.
What a dedicated Monzon nuthugger you are, which Monzon wins rates over Hagler? A 34yo lighweight Napoles? A 33yo ex WW Griffith? A Benvenuti with 2 loses in 18 months? FFS Yes way greater than a 32yo ATG Top3 MW of all time Hagler who was P4P no1!!!!!